This invention is generally related to a dispenser. More specifically this invention is related to an apparatus which dispenses bagels, or other items, without allowing the operator to contact the undispensed item.
Bagels, and similar food products, are typically dispensed in one of several ways. They may be pre-packaged into lots of say 6 or 12. This requires a person, or machine, to pack and seal the individual bags. The additional work, or equipment, increases the cost of the goods sold. Also the number of items in a bag, or the mixture of items, will not be suitable to every shopper.
Alternatively, the goods are distributed by an assistant who takes the custom order and then attends to filling of the order. This requires a person to be available at all times which again increases the cost of the goods sold.
It is most preferable to allow the shopper to choose the items themselves and to package the items without the assistance of store personnel. This is typically accomplished by the use of covered bins which are equipped with a scoop, tongs, or the like, to grasp the items and insert them into a bag. Most shoppers find this acceptable yet several problems exist.
Self-serve bins are miss-used by the shoppers and quite frequently the shopper may use their hand to retrieve the items. The risk of passing germs onto the other items in the bin is always present. This is a particular problem with children. Also the bin covers are frequently left open thereby allowing insects to enter the bin. It is not uncommon for the bins to become unsightly and the purchase of the goods becomes unappealing. Circumventing these problems by providing an attendant again increases the cost of the goods sold. There has been a long felt need for a dispenser which can dispense one bagel, or other item, at a time and which eliminates the problems associated with shoppers coming into contact with the items. Protection against insects, and the like, from entering the container is also highly desirable.
Automatic dispensers of many types are available yet none are suitable for the dispensing of dry goods such as bagels. Several properties are specific to bagels which make known dispensers unsuitable. Firstly, bagels are fairly soft and therefore a mechanism must be developed which will distribute them without undo force and which will not cause breaking or crumbling. Secondly, a bagel is typically covered with poppy seeds, or the like, and is susceptible to form crumbs regardless of the handling mechanism. A dispenser is preferred which will be self purging of crumbs and which does not have places for crumbs to accumulate. Thirdly, bagels are rarely uniform in size or thickness which increases the problems associated with designing a dispenser which is equally effective for a wide variety of sizes and shapes. A dispenser should be compact and capable of being bunched together since the space available is limited in most stores. Additionally, a dispenser must be aesthetically pleasing and must be of such a design that the goods are easily seen and are made to look appealing.
A dispenser has been described by Gould, U.S. Pat. No. 1,465,902 for distribution of cigarette packs and the like. The dispenser of Gould illustrates the deficiencies of most presently available dispensers relative to their use with items such as bagels. The mechanism which pushes the pack out of the dispenser uses a trigger mechanism wherein the handle is pulled back to actuate a plunger. As the plunger is withdrawn out of the storage bin a pack of cigarettes falls into the space vacated by the plunger. After the plunger reaches a certain point the trigger mechanism allows the plunger to push against the pack thereby ejecting it out of the front slot. A cigarette pack is of uniform size and shape and the manner in which a stack of packs will fall is predictable. Furthermore, a trigger mechanism is not a concern since a cigarette pack is relatively rigid and less susceptible to damage than bagels. A trigger mechanism, as employed by Gould, would likely damage bagels, or similar items. Also the plunger mechanism can not be guaranteed to expel only one item since the thickness may be different with each sample.